Vegetable Barley Soup {Vegan}

This soup was an experiment to replicate one of my childhood favorites.  You know the one in the can with that famous red label?  In fact, if I were to describe the taste of this particular soup to you, it would be alphabet soup crossed with vegetables, beef and barley.  Obviously, this version is vegan.

I think the biggest thing I miss about vegan soups is that they tend to lack any real flavor.  So I set out to find a way to bring it back with this Vegetable Barley Soup.  I’m really pleased with how it turned out.

Vegetable Barley Soup

I utilized all of the usual ingredients in this soup but for depth of flavor, I cubed two portobellos, generously sprinkled them with a grill seasoning and sauteed in a small amount of oil until they were tender.

I substituted vegetable broth with this Imagine brand Organic Mushroom Broth (my new favorite) and Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base.  They do offer a “No Beef” Base, but I wasn’t able to readily find it in my store.  The vegetable base is nice and dark and worked just fine.

Lastly, I added a vegan worcestershire.  Yes, it DOES exist!

Vegetable Barley Soup

I used a mixture of vegetables.  Fresh onions, celery and par-cooked potatoes, frozen mixed vegetables that included green beans, carrots, sweet corn and peas, as well as canned diced tomatoes.  I also added tomato paste and one small bay leaf.  Just don’t forget to remove that before serving 🙂

Vegetable Barley Soup

Last but not least, I cooked up some barley and added about 1/3 of a cup.  You could add more if you’d like.

Vegetable Barley Soup

I add the sauteed mushrooms back in at the very end just until heated through.  If the soup seems too thick, you could always add a bit more mushroom (or vegetable) broth.

Vegetable Barley Soup

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Vegetable Barley Soup {Vegan}

Servings 6 -8 Cups

Author Veg Life Staff

Ingredients

• FOR THE MUSHROOMS:
• 2 large Porotbello Mushrooms diced into 3/4" pieces
• 1-1/2 tsp Oil of your choosing
• Grill Seasoning of your choosing
• Small Pinch of Salt
• FOR THE VEGETABLES:
• 1-1/2 tsp Oil of your choosing
• 1/2 of a medium Onion chopped
• 1/4 C Celery chopped
• 1 Tbl Tomato Paste
• 1-3/4 to 2 C Mushroom Broth if you can't find it, use vegetable broth
• 1 Tbl Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base or No Beef Base
• 15 oz. Can of Diced Tomatoes juices included
• 1/2 C Potato large dice and par-cooked
• 1/2 C Mixed Frozen Vegetables that contain green beans peas, carrots and sweet corn
• 1/3 C of COOKED Barley
• 1 small Bay Leaf
• Garlic Powder to taste
• Onion Powder to taste
• 2 Tbl Vegan Worcestershire
• Basil to taste
• 1/8 tsp Pepper
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• In a large saute pan, add the oil and mushrooms. The mushrooms will shrink slightly, so cut them a bit bigger than you want them. Liberally sprinkle with your favorite grill-type seasoning and a small pinch of salt. Saute until browned and tender. Set aside.
• In a large stock pot, add the oil, onion and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the vegetables become tender. Don't allow to brown too much.
• Add the tomato paste, broth, vegetable base and diced tomatoes.
• In a smaller saucepan filled with water, par-cook the potatoes until almost tender. Drain and add to the soup.
• In a small saucepan, cook barley according to package instructions. Drain and add to the soup.
• Add the mixed frozen vegetables and 1 bay leaf, stirring to combine.
• Add the garlic and onion powder, worcestershire and basil.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Allow to simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes until potatoes are tender.
• Taste again for seasoning and remove the bay leaf.
• The soup freezes really well!